Prologue Part 12
The house became still. Unnaturally still. The usual hum of servants moving about, the occasional chatter of distant conversations, all of it had vanished. All that remained was the echo of Matteo's voice, still reverberating in the hallways. It was as though time had stopped in the moment his cries had pierced the dark morning. The walls themselves seemed to hold their breath, unwilling to release the horror they had just witnessed.
Matteo's heart continued to pound, though his body was drained, as if every last ounce of strength had been siphoned from him the instant he saw his mother lying in that bed. He was no longer sure if the tears streaming down his face were from the pain in his chest, the pain of loss, or from the sharp sting of realization that he would never hear her voice again.
Sylvia's gentle but firm hands were the only thing pulling him away from the room. His arms, heavy and lifeless, could barely lift as he fought against her grip. "Mama," he sobbed again, his voice hoarse, but the word seemed to lose its meaning with each repetition.
Sylvia was no longer listening. She was only trying to get him away from there.
Outside the room, the air felt colder than before, as if the warmth had bled out of the house the moment his mother had passed. Charlotte stood in the hallway, pale as a ghost, her face tight with a sorrow she couldn't voice. The house was still, but it was not silent. It hummed with an energy too heavy for words.
The sound of footsteps echoed from downstairs, growing louder as more of the servants began to make their way up. There was a murmur of voices, hushed and hesitant, as they gathered at the top of the stairs, unsure of how to approach the situation.
Then came the one voice that mattered.
Thomas Dumont. His footsteps were slow, measured, deliberate. He walked as if he were approaching a scene of business, not disaster.
When he reached the door to Isabella's room, he stopped. His eyes briefly met Sylvia's, then flicked to Matteo, who was still struggling in her grasp.
He said nothing.
His eyes cold, distant, empty, moved to the open door before him, where his wife's lifeless form lay on the bed, a dark stain of finality already starting to seep into the fabric of the room.
Finally, he stepped into the room, his movements mechanical. There was no sadness in his posture, no sign of grief. Just the cold, calculating nature of a man forced to face what he had been too blind to see.
"Please take care of this." He instructed all the servants before leaving again. As he did, all the servants around him stared at him with expressions of shock layered with hidden anger and repulsion.
As the hours went by, more and more of Callistean society heard the news of their capital's Duchess passing. From the other Dukes and Duchesses who she was close with, to other distant aristocrats who worked under her, to even the commoners who lived under her husband's reign. It quickly became a hot topic across the entire nation, especially after the events the night before the death.
"Did you hear, the Duchess of Solenne has passed. And apparently….. It was a suicide!"
"I'm sorry to tell you this, my love…. But Duchess Isabella…. Is no more."
"I still can't believe our Duchess killed herself. I mean, she's the Duchess! Was she stupid?!"
"Apparently, she went crazy because of a ghost."
"A ghost?! You mean to tell me that someone would kill themselves because of something so childish and ridiculous?!"
"It's quite a shame. She was a real beauty too, what a waste."
"A beauty, sure. But let's not forget, she was just a peasant before all this. She was never cut out for that life. It's no surprise she couldn't handle the pressure."
"I swear the Dumont family has to be cursed. I mean… killing yourself over a ghost? Either that family is haunted or the Duchess was secretly just a madwoman."
"And I hear that her husband, General Thomas beat her in public at his party the day before"
"Do you think…. Maybe he… killed her?"
"No way! She may have been crazy, but I don't think he would go so far as to murder her for it… right?"
"What are you talking about?! General Thomas is a hero, on par with Aurelien Callistea himself, there's no way he would do something like that!"
"Well, since Duchess Isabella is no more,do you think I should try my luck with General Thomas?"
"Even after what happened just last night?"
"Oh come on! The General is a good man who had to deal with that peasant woman. Surely anybody would do the same thing he did when put in his shoes."
"Ha! I always knew that woman was a fraud! Once a peasant, always a peasant!"
"Honestly, it's kind of poetic, isn't it? A woman who spent her life climbing higher than she ever deserved, only to fall so spectacularly. I guess ghosts and madness come with the territory when you're living a lie."
A few days passed and at the Dumont mansion, a few people sat in the living room. They were Thomas, Roselle, and a few other members of the Dumont family.
"Alright, thank you all for coming, let us commence the funeral proceedings." Thomas began. The man beside him, his father said while eating a biscuit, "Why do we even need to bother with a funeral? I have told you for years that you were wasting your time with that peasant. Now you want us to waste our money and resources on a funeral for her?"
Thomas replied, "I am not doing this because I want to. I am doing this because if we don't, it could leave a stain on the reputation of our family. Especially with the rumours that have been passing around."
"Alright then," his father said with a sigh, "Well then, what about this woman, is she a family of the deceased?"
Thomas answered, "No, but she and Isabella were close friends. She was the closest thing to family that she had left apart from Matteo."
"You were friends with the former Duchess?" His sister asked Roselle. "Yes, I was." Roselle answered flatly. "Well, I suppose I should send my condolences." Roselle shook her hand, "On, no need. She may have been as dear as a sister to me, but I refuse to mourn somebody who would willingly disgrace themselves like this. Especially after all the help I tried to offer her."
"I see," Thomas' sister replied, "Well, what about her child. What are you going to do about him?" Thomas paused for a moment, pretending to think about a decision he had already made a long time ago, "I have decided that Matteo…. Will be the next heir of the Dumont family."
Confused faces filled the room. "Surely you are joking?" His mother asked with a look of disdain. His father joined in, "Surely you do not expect the Dumont family to be led by someone who isn't even of Dumont blood?!"
Thomas sighed before explaining, "I know that my decision may sound controversial…. However, over the years Matteo has shown talents beyond anything I have seen before. I would even go as far as to call him an anomaly, and with careful grooming he could become one of the most influential figures in not just our family's history, but in all of the world. That is how confident I am in his abilities."
"Hmph!," His mother let out, "I do not care for his talents or abilities! Surely you can create a child of your own whose abilities surpass that abandoned, can you not?" "Well, mother," Thomas answered, "I'm afraid I do not have time for that. I have plenty of work to do as both military General and Duke of our capital city. There is simply no time for me to try to court another wife. Besides, I believe that getting a child that possesses the raw talent and potential Matteo does would be nearly impossible. Correct me if I am wrong, but how many children do you know who said their first words after only one month of life? Or a child that could read and write in three languages by the time he was merely two years of age?"
His mother was left absolutely speechless, along with the rest of his family, "But, that's impossible!" "Not for Matteo" Thomas said before finishing off, "Even now that boy harbours vast potential beyond our comprehension. With Isabella gone we can capitalize on this as effectively as possible and cultivate him into the perfect human being."
The Dumonts went silent before the father replied, "Very well. Matteo can be the next heir of our family. But only if this talent that you speak so highly of is fully realized." "Do not worry father, I will personally make sure Matteo lives up to his potential."
"Okay, then, let us move on to our next topic…. Isabella's Soul Inheritance." Thomas' mother said. "Can I assume that…. Matteo, will inherit her soul?" Thomas replied, "Yes. I am sure that is what she would've wanted." "What will be Matteo's starter seed?" Thomas paused for a while before answering, "I have not decided yet. I am considering giving him the elemental seeds like I have, but we shall have to see with regards to that."
"If you don't mind me asking, when is the ceremony taking place?" Roselle asked. Thomas replied, "The Inheritance ceremony will take place later this week on Thursday, and the funeral on Friday the day after. Unfortunately I cannot extend it further, since I still have to prepare for the invasion of Baroka on Sunday."
"Oh, it's quite alright. I would also much rather get this over with." His mother replied.
They finished off their meeting by discussing the venue of the funeral as well as the programme and guest list and the after tears ceremony. Then they all left back to their homes and duties and waited until the day of the Inheritance ceremony.